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So let's pony up some names here, gang. Who were they people that made you wanna take a couple of sticks and bang 'em on something (and don't say your older sister!)? I'll go first:

No particular order:

The Classic People Who Made Me the Freak I am Now:
-Stewart Copeland (HUGE)
-John Bonham (HUGE)
-Steve Gadd (HUGE)
-Bill Bruford
-Zig Modeliste (HUGE)(drummer for The Meters, natch)
-Keith Moon

Those I Have Grown to Love:
-Ringo
-Charlie Watts
-Jeff Porcaro
-Omar Hakim
-Manu Katche

Newer People I Think Are Doing the Best Work These Days:
-Janet Weiss (Sleater-Kinney: if you haven't heard Sleater-Kinney, they RAWK. Three women who have as much rauscious "git down" as any guys I have heard. They should be top of the pops).
-Matt Chamberlain (Critters Bugging. He is apparently the first-call guy these days, did the last Bowie album. Critters is avante-garde jazz fusion, think maybe Naked City, except they forgot to take all the fun out of it, so it's great listening).

Yup, I'm done, Who's Next? (Gee, is that a reference?) Doc

Comments

anonymous Fri, 07/16/2010 - 19:23

Aost of the already mentioned ones and John Henry Bonham, because he can't be mentioned enough.

Also an alltime fave for his uniqe grooves and particular spaced out hi hat play, Steve White he played with The Style Council and did all of the Paul Weller Solo Albums and lot of session stuff, including some nice acid jazz projects of him.

I have seen him several times live AMAZING

joh6 Fri, 01/21/2011 - 21:38

I'm a pretty young guy and I'd say my opinions on influential drummers is limited... BUT I must say that if you dig deep into the works of Jason McGerr (death cab for cutie) you will find an extremely well rounded drummer that is able to expand immensely on what we've come to know as "simple" beats. I also quite appreciate the styles of Old John Bonham(Led Zeppelin) have crept back especially with bands like the Dead Weather(Jack White).

-Meg White
a unique style or lack there of that makes the white stripes music so white stripes.